Elementary programme

As children approached the age of six, Montessori noted that the children changed, physically and psychologically. The absorbent mind faded, the sensitive periods disappeared and strictly sensorial exploration of the immediate environment was not as fascinating as it once had been. Now the children were drawn towards imaginative exploration, and their scope widened. They wanted to know the reasons for everything, and were capable now of following abstract and reasoned presentations. Abstraction, reason and imagination were their new strengths, and exploration of the reasons for all that surrounded them had become their new focus. These changes in the child necessitated a change in approach.

Cosmic Education invites second plane children to see themselves as part of a whole, as they are assisted in the task of building their own personalities. They are led to place themselves in relation to others, both animate and inanimate, and to understand that they have a responsibility towards others, that they do not exist for themselves alone.

As they apprehend the works of humanity in the world the species and varieties of plants that humanity has created, the transportation of organisms to new continents – second plane children gradually come to an understanding of the cosmic task of humanity: Humanity takes up the task of continuing creation The children also observe that this cosmic task is linked to a responsibility for maintenance of the balance of nature. What is interesting here is that these cosmic tasks represent work chosen by each organism, or work that occurs as a result of the existence of inanimate elements in the universe. As adults, we should take heed here: If children are to discover their own cosmic tasks, then their work must be freely chosen, not imposed!

The Five Great Lessons provides the structured access to the curriculum. Each lesson is designed to first give the child an inspiring big picture view of the world and life. These lessons are bold, exciting, and aim to awaken a child’s imagination and curiosity. It is through the telling and re-telling of the Great Lessons (or Cosmic Lessons) that the child is motivated to do further research. The lessons initiate exploration and discovery in topics such as geography, maths, science, language and history.

The Five Great Lessons are presented every year to the children.

• First Great Lesson – Coming of the Universe and the Earth
• Second Great Lesson – Coming of Life
• Third Great Lesson – Coming of Human Beings
• Fourth Great Lesson – Communication and Signs
• Fifth Great Lesson – The Story of Numbers

Biology is offered to the child along with other. We know that Dr. Montessori suggested offering the whole universe to the children of the second plane and that she designed Cosmic Education based on the nature of the child’s mind. It is offered as a holistic approach, integrating all the aspects of the universe and given in an impressionistic way appealing to the imagination.

Biology is offered by giving the big picture of all life, and details are studied later through Key Lessons. All stories and Key Lessons are planned and presented to touch the imaginative mind of the child. The imaginative mind and the power to reason helps the child to build knowledge and to connect this knowledge back to the whole, where he can also see the inter-dependencies of all things. Key concepts are introduced as a story, or as a discussion, followed by demonstrations, experiments and prepared nomenclature material. We prepare the child by offering key concepts of biology.

Themes in Montessori biology area focus on the needs of life; what living organisms do to satisfy their needs for their survival, and how they grow and adapt. Animals move in search of food but plants cannot move in search of food because they are rooted to the ground. So how do plants prepare food for their survival? How do they reproduce? How do animals and plants work in collaboration? These investigations can be very interesting for the child because the child of the second plane always wonders how things work and how living things survive. So our lessons are offered to stimulate the child’s mind, which may cause him to explore and to find the reasons for things. When the child understands one thing, this will support his ability to make generalizations about many other similar things.

In the Montessori elementary classroom, a study of many aspects of the physical world occurs under the general heading of Geography. This area of work has a central place in the Montessori elementary class. It must be noted that this title is or one used with the children, but serves, rather as a means for the organization or the teacher’s mind.

For the children there should be life and physical reality, in which every fascinating thing under the sun and beyond it appears. Children in a Montessori classroom do not encounter subjects grouped under headings which form part of some curriculum or other. They are building their minds, not ‘studying’. They are exploring World, not the inside of a textbook. And although there is structure in the prepared environment, it is not a place where the child is bound to explore it in a particular order.

We show the children that the life of the past so they will spontaneously begin to realize that we are the beneficiaries of these unknown human beings, creators and organizers. History for us is not the History of kings, queens and emperors. It’s not even the History of the exceptional or the history of wars and disastrous events. It is the History of humanity. Just as it was first these tiny creatures that made the greatest contribution of life, so were these ordinary people and events that are responsible of what we have today.

In sum, the attitude towards history is appreciation for the people of history and what they have created. We can study one topic, for example shelter, food, defence… along different times, say through Prehistory, Ancient civilizations, Middle Age, Modern age or in present time. This may be described as a vertical study-a study over time. Also in Montessori we can take a particular period of time, for example The Roman Empire and study their features on the charts for history. Horizontal study -a study of aspects of history at a particular time.

The math area begins with the Golden Bead material to teach beginning math concepts (place value, quantity/symbol association, and concrete addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division). The materials bring a “hands-on” quality to the classroom, with children learning through trial and error, self-discovery, and teaching from other children. The materials quickly move the child to an abstraction of math concepts, including problem solving, fractions, borrowing and carrying, graphing, measurement, long division, and algebraic equations.

We start geometry as a subject area with the Story of Geometry. The work continues as the children are introduced to other geometric ideas, such as a study of congruency, similarity and equivalence. The children are introduced to ideas of a point, a line, and then plane figures which are two dimensional and also to three dimensional figures, which are the solids. The study of two dimensional figures helps the child recognize the parts of solid figures, which are of course experienced in the objects of the environment. The study of Geometry in elementary helps the child to deepen his knowledge and guides his classification of the shapes and forms that surround him prepares the child for higher studies in Geometry.

Montessori Geometry is designed to provoke the children to wonder how human mind is able to create such wonderful solutions for their lives. Most importantly, Geometry is offered so that the children have an opportunity to observe the relationship between the concepts within the subject itself, and to link these ideas with the work of humanity outside the classroom.

Word study develops spelling, vocabulary, pronunciation, understanding, reading, etymology. Names given to parts of speech. Function and variety encountered. Functions of groups of words expanded in Logical Analysis. Linking verbs introduced. Great Stories follow the development of humanity’s greatest creations. Language is the most powerful instrument of human progress. Language provides humanity with a kind of “cultural memory”. Techniques for creative writing studied.

We touch the human spirit and encounter human thinking, past and present via Literature, and present various styles of writing for emulation. We assist the child who cannot read or who cannot write. We give Cosmic Education through language. Our own dialogue is carefully designed and well-rehearsed – Limited “Er’s and “Um”s .Written language becomes more and more a vital vehicle for children’s acquisition of knowledge as they mature Spoken language and written language are the two major threads of the program. Precision and constant appropriate models (Speech, literature) vital aspects of class. Design for success Small pieces of paper for early writing.